by M. D. Melai
I leaned back in my chair and took in every word she had said. She had been right there, and I didn’t even know she existed at the time. I remember the day Bianca had approached me, thinking I was Elle. It all made sense now.
“I stayed there in Palermo for the most part. I only had one slip up, and it was when I was in London doing work for the other Dapprimas. One of my father’s men was there on vacation, and it had been eight years since my death. At first, he wasn’t sure if it was me, but he eventually figured it out. I barely escaped him, and after that, I never left Palermo again.”
“So, why didn’t your father go after you?” Emilio asked.
“I thought he would, and he might have, but I was protected, and there was no way he would have gotten to me. Plus, everything was already in Liliana’s name—he didn’t need me. He did go after two others, though, and they had to pay the price,” she said as she looked at Lucas.
“Almost on a daily basis, I would check any news that was happening back home. And a week later, I found out that Daniel and Anita had died. I knew my father was the one who did it. They didn’t execute the task he had given them. They were good people and didn’t deserve that kind of death. Imagine my dismay when I found out Lucas had been taken on under their wing—it was heartbreaking for me.” Adela got lost in her own thoughts and memories for a moment, before she continued.
“Anyways,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I was careful from that point on. Like I said, I never left Palermo, but I desperately wanted to know everything that was going on back home. Then, a year and a half ago, Massimo contacted us and wanted Elle to come to New Jersey. I saw that as my opportunity.
“It’s true that Elle and I have known each other—ever since she was two. So when she left, she promised she would report everything back to me and also everything that went on involving the Heinrichs as well. I had asked her, before she left, to do the hardest part of the entire trip… befriend someone in their inner circle. I needed her, because my other contacts, Wyatt and Olivia, stopped communicating with me.”
My thoughts were scrambled as I tried to process word for word what Adela had been saying this whole time. To top it all off, yet another person in my inner circle was playing both sides—working for us and the Heinrichs.
“I was the one who told them about your hand,” Elle admitted quietly, and it took me a second to realize what she was saying. “They made me prove that I was loyal to them, and I had to—I needed to keep digging. I’m… I’m really sorry. Everything that happened that night was my fault,” she said as she began to cry.
Wow, what a burden Elle had been carrying around.
Was I shocked? Yes. But nothing she said or could have done would have changed what happened to my father. The Heinrichs wanted him dead, and would have done it regardless. I knew that—we all knew that.
“Nothing would have changed that night,” I said as I looked up at her, giving her a reassuring look. “Nothing.”
“That’s pretty much everything I had to tell you,” Adela spoke softly, concluding her story. “But I’m sure you’re all wondering exactly why I’m back here.”
“I’m just trying to figure out why you left in the first place,” Benito said with a quizzical look on his face.
“You weren’t safe with me around.”
“But my family could have protected you, like we’ve protected Lily.”
“It was a different time back then. It was only your father and you. Giorgio and Giovanni were only nineteen, and Marcello was seventeen. Now, Lily has all of you protecting her. I loved both you and Lily so much that I wasn’t about to have them hurt you or even use you as leverage to get me killed. It was safer for me to leave.”
“So, why are you back?” Violet spoke for the first time.
“I have been sitting on the sidelines watching as Liliana’s world has been turned upside down, and I was certainly not any help back in Italy. It was time for me to come home—to help instead of cowering. She needs me here whether she wants me here or not. From what Elle has been telling me, and from what I saw last night, they’re getting close—too close for comfort. And if we aren’t careful, then we’ll lose someone else, or maybe even Lily in the process. I started this mess, and it’s time for me to finish it. Like I should have years ago.”
“Do you know what they’re planning?” Dante asked.
“No, but I know it’s going to be big,” Elle chimed in.
“I think the best thing we can do is attack first before they do,” Adela interjected.
“What do you have in mind?” Benito spoke up.
“We need to get that money and go on the offense, instead of being on the defense like you have been.”
“And how would we do that?” Emilio asked. “We have been through a million different scenarios, and we haven’t come up with a decent one that doesn’t put Lily’s life in danger.”
“That’s why I’m here. I know the Heinrich territory and that bank better than anyone else.”
“If they are this aggressive just to get Lily, then how bad do you think it would be if we had both Lily and the money?”
“Precisely,” Adela said.
We all took a moment and just stared at her. Was she seriously thinking about taunting and drawing them in? How crazy was this woman?
“You all do not know my father—I do. And the one thing I do know about him is that when he gets upset and money hungry, it clouds his judgment. He does things on impulse, without even thinking about his next move, which can be sloppy. If we do this to him, then more than likely, he won’t have a plan coming into this. We draw him away from comfort and hit him where it hurts. We already have more men on our side, and between that and them not having a well-defined plan, we will win this.”
“What’s the prize?” my mother asked.
A crooked smile curled up Adela’s face, and I knew that it was going to be something that we all wanted.
“My father’s demise,” Adela replied.
Chapter 21
To say the last couple of days were crazy, unrealistic, and downright complicated would be an understatement. Since my, once thought, dead biological mother had magically come back to life after years of hiding, things had been hectic around the house. I tried to keep the atmosphere calm by hanging out with Dante and Violet. We would mostly play games and watch a movie, but that only filled the void for a little while.
Adela had been staying with my mother at her condo, while Benito and I tried to wrap our heads around what exactly had transpired.
I felt devastated for Benito. When he had left the other night, Adela tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen to a word she said. He was frustrated and upset. I knew he was going to have to go home and tell Gabriella, his wife of sixteen years, that his, once thought to be, dead wife was alive, and that his younger sister wasn’t actually his sister but his daughter.
I hadn’t talked to Adela since she left the house that night. However, I had talked to my mother several times. She never said anything about Adela to me, and I never asked. I honestly didn’t have anything to say to her right now. I had lived twenty-one years without her, and I wasn’t in any hurry to change that.
Lucas and I had been texting back and forth the last couple of days as well. After everything he had learned about his family, I couldn’t be upset with him anymore. His parents had risked their lives, and they ultimately died by saving my birth mother. He said he “just needed some time to deal with what Adela confessed.” I was going to give it to him, and I assured him that as soon as he was ready to talk, I was ready to listen.
Emilio had said the same thing to me. He wasn’t hovering over me as much as I thought he might. He would just assure me, like I had assured Lucas, that he was here when I was ready to talk.
I picked running back up again. It had been a while, and I needed it. It was my way of getting out of the house and thinking. Usually, whoever was around the house when I felt like running was the one to acco
mpany me.
Elle even called me a few times over the last few days. She said that she wanted to explain herself and apologize for keeping Adela’s secret to herself. I was more understanding than Benito was, but I still didn’t like the fact that she hid it from us. She told me that Adela gave her strict orders that if it came down to it, then she could tell them everything, except that she was alive. While it took me a few hours to discuss things with Elle, I eventually forgave her. But I wasn’t sure that Benito would be so quick to react.
He did react, though, in a different way. Benito had demanded that Adela get a DNA test before we went any further with trying to figure out how she fit into our lives. He wanted to make sure it really was her, and I didn’t blame him—I would probably do the same. I had to go to a clinic and have my cheek swabbed and blood taken, so they would have DNA to compare Adela’s to.
Today, we were supposed to be getting the results back, and then tonight, Adela, me, Benito, and my mother were supposed to be having dinner together.
The day had been a blur as I worked mostly in my office. I kept myself busy by working as many hours as I could. Work was always a good distraction from my home life. Elle and Violet had been gracious enough to let me be. And, for the time being, the day went by surprisingly fast. It was almost five o’clock when my phone rang—it was the lab.
“Hello,” I answered.
“Hello, is this Liliana Dapprima?” the male voice on the other end asked.
“Yes, this is her.”
“Ms. Dapprima, we have the results from the DNA test between you and a Mrs. Adela Dapprima.” He paused for a moment, probably wondering why I would get a test to verify that she was my mother.
“Yes, please go on.”
“Sorry,” he said as he cleared his throat. “Our lab found that you are indeed the daughter of Mrs. Adela Dapprima. We have also contacted her and shared the results.”
“Thank you,” I said, before quickly saying a goodbye and hanging up.
I didn’t know what to do. It was the first time in months that it became real to me that I wasn’t really Massimo and Rosaria Dapprima’s daughter. But, only by birth were Benito and Adela my parents—my heart knew differently.
***
Dante ended up accompanying me to my mother’s for dinner that night. He needed to be as involved as I was, since he was the only one, besides me, left in the dark about Benito and Adela being my biological parents. This was his family too, so we all felt like he should be included.
Dinner was awkward to say the least. Adela tried to make small talk, but I only answered shortly. It was safe to say that I was uncomfortable and ready to leave. My mother eventually got me to talk more by asking how business was going, and if I was ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas? When did I plan on going shopping? She asked about things she knew I loved.
With Thanksgiving next week, I was ready for shopping. Black Friday was one of my favorite shopping days of the year. The shopping deals were great, and I loved that, but the atmosphere was what pulled me back every year. I loved the rush of it!
After dinner, Benito and Adela insisted that they clean up the dishes. Benito told her to go and sit down, but Adela refused. They were both very stubborn, and I was starting to see myself in them—mostly Benito, but slowly some of Adela too.
Dante, my mother, and I had just made ourselves comfortable on the couches when we heard the dishes as they crashed to the floor, or maybe into the sink.
“What do you want from me?” Benito’s voice rang out before he reined it in.
“I want you to look at me,” Adela said.
My mother’s condo was good sized, but it wasn’t so large that we couldn’t hear them speak. I didn’t know if we should move outside, intervene, or just stay and listen. Dante grabbed my hand and squeezed it as we looked toward my mother. I knew we were staying when she gave us a stern look. I hadn’t decided if I wanted to listen to what they had to say to each other, but maybe it was for the best, so we all would know what to anticipate when they joined us.
“You should have come to me. You should have told me what the hell was going on Adela! My family and I would have done anything to help you!”
“I couldn’t take that chance, Benny. You know that! You wouldn’t have risked me or Liliana if the tides had been turned.”
“Adela, you walked away from me—from Liliana. You died. Did you seriously think it was better to fake your own death than to live a life with us?”
“Benito, you have to understand—” she began before he cut her off.
“You and I could have left with Liliana. We could have changed our names, but you chose to leave us, and that was your mistake, so you can’t come back here and wonder why she won’t talk to you or why I can’t even look at you.
“I loved you, and when you died, it broke me. It took me a long time to find my way back, and in the process, not only had I lost you, but I lost Liliana too. She didn’t even know me, and it killed me when I had to leave her. Come to find out that was all your doing too! It makes perfect sense now why my father pushed so damn hard for them to become Lily’s parents—because you asked them to,” he said as he took a deep sigh. “I didn’t want that—I wanted her. I needed her, but my father just kept pushing! I lost everything, and you’re to blame for it!”
“Benny, please…forgive me?”
“Adela, I’m under a lot of stress right now. I had to go home the other night and tell my wife that after sixteen years of marriage, I had been keeping an incredibly huge secret from her. Not only had I been married before her, but my, once thought to be, dead wife was back and probably here to stay, and then I had to tell her that her sister-in-law wasn’t really her sister-in-law but her step-daughter. And to top it off, I have to deal with the fall out of Liliana learning the truth, and finally the fact that your father has crossed the line of no return.”
“Let me help you, Benny, this one time. After everything is done, if you and Liliana want me gone, then I will leave. I will go back to my life in Italy, and you won’t have to see me again.”
“Fine,” Benito finally said after a long pause. “You can help us out. Then it will be up to Lily on what kind of relationship she wants with you. She has been through so much the last couple of years, so it will be her choice and her choice alone. Whatever she decides will be fine with me.”
“Thank you, Benny. I won’t let you or Liliana down again, I promise.”
Benito rounded the corner shortly after to find me, Dante, and my mother all sitting here. My eyes immediately met his when he started to speak.
“I’m sorry you had to hear all of that,” was all he said as he grabbed his coat and walked out the front door.
***
I had woken up this morning with a fever and a cough that had kept me up most of the night. It had been two days since I had dinner with my mother, Dante, Benito, and Adela. My body was rundown, stressed, and tired. Between all of that and the weather, there was no question as to why I was sick.
The weather outside was cold, and I wasn’t taking very good care of myself. Plus, running outside in the crisp, cool November air probably wasn’t helping much either.
Dante, Emilio, and Violet had reluctantly left me at the house as they headed to work. There wasn’t anything they could really do for me, and I didn’t need to be waited on hand and foot—it was just a cold.
Instead, thirty minutes after the three of them had left for work, Lorenzo came walking through the front door. To say I was surprised would have been a lie.
“Are you hungry?” Lorenzo asked midafternoon.
“I’m getting there,” I answered back.
“Do you want soup from the diner down the street?”
“Yeah, I think that would be good. Do you think they have chicken noodle? It might feel good on my throat.”
“I’m sure they do,” he chuckled. “Anything else while I’m out?”
“Yes, can you stop by the store and pick me up another b
ag of cough drops? The cherry ones, please,” I said with a smile.
“Yes,” he laughed. “If you think of anything else, then call me,” he said before he stood up and threw his magazine on my bedside chair he was sitting in. “I’ll be right back.”
I was thankful that Lorenzo was here. Though I know Emilio had asked him to be here to watch over me, it was nice to have the company.
My eyes were starting to feel very heavy, and I knew it was due to the drowsiness of the medication I was taking. I figured I may as well take a quick nap while Lorenzo was gone.
***
I didn’t know how long I had dozed off for, when the house alarm sounded. I wondered why Lorenzo hadn’t turned it off already. He knew that if he didn’t punch in his information correctly that it would sound inside.
I quickly rubbed my eyes and pushed myself up off the bed. I was still half asleep as I walked towards my door. I heard as the front door opened, and then several voices I didn’t recognize floated up the steps.
“You two, up the stairs!” a voice yelled out. “Find her!”
I stood there in disbelief as my heart rate skyrocketed. I felt, in that instant, one of my worst nightmares was about to take place.
I couldn’t think, much less move, until the sound of their feet pounding up the stairs pulled me from my own thoughts.
Okay, think Lily! Attack drills. Safe spots! MOVE IT!
There was a safe spot in my room! I quickly and quietly shut my bedroom door and locked it. It wouldn’t hold them for long when they finally made it to my room, but it should give me a few extra seconds if needed.
As fast as I could, I headed straight to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind me. Opening the door to my linen closet, I knelt down and started moving everything out of the way as fast as I could. I never thought I would ever have had to use the safe spot in my own room, so I hadn’t kept the entrance to it as clean and uncluttered as it should have been. It was scary enough knowing that all those attack drills I thought were so stupid were actually becoming very useful.
